Dutch ship Delft (1783)

	Model of the Delft at Shipyard De Delft in Rotterdam
History
Dutch Republic
Name	Delft
Ordered	27 May 1782
Commissioned	16 May 1783
Out of service	19 January 1795
History
Batavian Republic
In service	19 January 1795
Captured	11 October 1797
Fate	Sank on 15 October 1797
General characteristics
Class and type	list error: <br /> list (help); 56-gun fourth rate; ship of the line
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full rigged ship

51°54′08″N 4°27′06″E / 51.90221°N 4.45154°E / 51.90221; 4.45154

The Delft was a Dutch 56-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the navy of the Dutch Republic and the Batavian Republic.

The order to construct the ship was given on 27 May 1782 by the Admiralty of the Meuse. The ship was commissioned on 16 May 1783 by the United Netherlands Navy.

On 24 December 1787 the Delft set sail on a mission against the Barbary pirates and protected Dutch traders in the Mediterranean.

For the ship's second mission starting 31 May 1793 Theodorus Frederik van Capellen became the new commanding officer. During this mission 75 Dutch slaves were freed from Algiers.

In 1795 the Dutch Republic was conquered by the French and the new Batavian Republic was founded. Delft was initially disarmed by the French (because they feared that it could be used by Orangist rebels) but the ship was later reactivated to participate in the war with Britain. Gerrit Verdooren van Asperen became her captain.

On 11 October 1797 the Delft took part in the Battle of Camperdown. Despite heavy resistance the ship was captured by the British and sank off Scheveningen four days later while being towed to Britain.

Work has been underway in Rotterdam since 2001 to build a replica of the Delft at Shipyard De Delft (Dutch: Scheepswerf De Delft) in Delfshaven,^[1] near to the place where the original ship was built.